Our patriarchal culture is rapidly turning into fear and loathing of women around here. It's once again progressing beyond the desire to control reproduction to teaching the next generation of young men that women are sub-human.

The behavior of the Young Republicans at Saturday night's memorial service and an email I received this morning from a local radio personality are indicative of the trend I am witnessing in my area. I hope this is isolated and not a sign of things to come though I have my doubts.

It's absolutely disgusting to see how they can pander to the female vote through a thinly veiled wall of hatred.

20. Yes, and it is done even towards our own side, or women in general

Aside from the obvious "Ann the Man" kind of comments, phrases like "pink tutu Democrats" or "growing a pair" are misogynist as well, creating the assumption that manly attributes are good, lack of them bad, as phrases like "media whores," "presstitutes," and other promiscuity phrases show. (Comparing lack of professional integrity to women who have frequent sex implies badness, but calling the media "studs" or "Gigolos" would not have the same negative connotation.)

Then there are the basic assumptions all society has. Start a thread asking which actresses people think of as most talented, and over half the comments will equate talent with sexual attractiveness. (Comments like "Jennifer Connally used to be really talented, look how hot she was then." "She's still that talented, look at this picture.") Start a thread on male actors, and you will get comments about character development, style, etc.

on Saturday night to coincide with the DC events. The Young Republicans hastily pulled together a counter protest. Their signs were mostly about Cindy Sheehan and were brutal. We had several women speakers and the heckling directed at their gender over the bullhorns was just nasty. It was clear that the hatred extended beyond the peace movement and was exacerbated by the fact that the speakers were female.

Women have proven their worth in society over and over again. Truth be told, there's a lot of men who have yet to prove their own worth in society. And some of them are the ones who are trying to keep women down.

I have a 'handyman' doing work at my house. He's tried to talk me out of almost everything I want done because he says his way is better (since he is a man and I am only a woman, he would certainly know more and better). Just a minute ago I, mere woman that I am, had to show him how to cut a hole in slate floor tile because he couldn't get his male supervisor on the phone to instruct him how.

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